North Korea arrested four due to unsuccessful submarine start

arrests and responsible

The arrested is Ri Hyong Son, the deputy department head of the ammunition industry of the party's Central Committee, who, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) from Monday, was "decisive for the occurrence of the serious accident". In addition, three other people were arrested on Sunday: Kang Jong Chol, che engineer of the Chongjin Werft, where the incident took place, Han Kyong Hak, head of the shipbuilding department, and Kim Yong Hak, deputy administrative director.

Kim's reaction and order situation

Kim Jong Un called the failed start that he observed himself as a "criminal act" and swore to punish those responsible. The accident last Wednesday was a malfunction of the starting mechanism, which led to the rear of the still nameless 5,000-ton destroyer slid into the water prematurely, had parts of the fuselage crushed and the bug area had stuck on the slipway. This information was published on Thursday by KCNA in a rare admission of errors in this otherwise strongly secret state.

damage report and repair time

On Friday, the state media reported that the damage to the warship was less serious than initially assumed. So there were no holes in the fuselage, although the taxboard side was scratched. In addition, "a certain amount of sea water came into the rear area". The repairs could take about ten days, the report said. However, analysts are skeptical.

repair forecast and challenges

Kim had ordered that the destroyer will be restored in front of the plenary session of the ruling workers' party at the end of June, as this regarded him as a national honor. Satellite images show that the majority of the warship at the starting point is covered with blue tarpaulins, which makes it difficult to assess the full extent of the damage.

The analyst Carl Schuster, a former captain of the US Navy, expressed that the repair work could take up to six months, which would go far beyond Kim's goal in June. "If the hull damage affects the side of the ship covered by the tarpaulin, we come to four to six months of repair time," he said. The repair could be complicated, depending on how much sea water has reached the warship.

Important security measures for repairs

The inside of the ship would have to be flushed thoroughly with fresh water and then dried to prevent the formation of a "salt crust" on metal surfaces. "If it penetrates together and the like, it will be destructive," said Schuster. But rinsing can only begin when the ship is erected and any existing holes are patched up in the fuselage.

current status and future risks

KCNA reported on Monday that "the work for the full restoration of the balance of the warship" was actively carried out ", but without specifying a schedule. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies, which were recorded on Sunday and are available, continue to show the ship on the side, still mostly covered with blue tarpaulins, while smaller boats were buzzing around it.

The South Korean legislator and defense expert Yu Yong-Weon said last week that the hasty driving of the ship's start probably led to the problems on Wednesday. Schuster confirmed this consideration and pointed out that the impression may be more important for the KIM regime than the military value. "When Kim Jong Un says: 'I want this ship to be ready for use in six months', then you will cut back to achieve this. And usually you get a ship that is not optimal for operations, but fulfills the propaganda criteria."

This reporting was supported by CNNS YOONJUNG SEO and Gawon Bae.